Matadors Let Sacramento Slip One By, 3-2

It was an ending nobody would have expected.

Not Cal State Sacramento.

Not Cal State Northridge.

Not the fans.

It was a shocker.

With the Northridge men’s soccer team dominating play, Sacramento got a big break when Matador goalkeeper Christian Perez went to pick up a routine loose ball in front of the goal and let the ball slip out of his hands.

Sean Luigs stepped up and touched the ball into the open net, giving the Hornets a 3-2, double-overtime victory Friday night in a nonconference game at Northridge.

“It’s unlucky,” Northridge defender Jeff Okerman said. “I’m disappointed. I couldn’t believe it.”

“It’s unfortunate,” Northridge Coach Terry Davila said. “Christian made an error. He’s got to stay strong. He’s one of the leaders on this team.

“We have to stay tough for league. It’s only the middle of the season. We have a long way to go.”

The Matadors (4-5) kept the Hornets on their heels throughout the game, out-shooting them, 21-10. But poor finishing hampered the Matadors.

“We were spirited. We went at them,” Okerman said. “We kept pressing and pressing them. There was a lot of team effort. We controlled the game.”

The Matadors tied the score, 2-2, in the 84th minute when midfielder Edwin Miranda one-touched a cross from Tony Ortega past goalkeeper Joey Hills.

The Hornets (4-3-1) took the lead on a mistake by defender Costa Kury, who mishandled the ball near midfield, allowing forward David Fraser to pick up the loose ball and dribbled toward the goal.

Three Matadors caught Fraser, who missed the ball while attempting a shot. The defenders, though, overran the ball and Fraser tucked a shot past Perez for a 2-1 lead.

The Matadors scored first off a corner kick from William Diaz in the ninth minute. Diaz played the ball toward the top of the 18-yard box, where Okerman and teammate Charles Mitchell let the ball run through their legs to an unmarked Ortega, who sent the ball into the upper left corner of the goal.

“I saw Tony [Ortega] coming. The defender went for me and I let it go through my legs,” Okerman said. “It was an easy goal.”

The Hornets tied the score two minutes later on a goal by Matt Scammacca.